Numerous “intelligent devices” now available, such as “smartphones” such as the Apple iPhone, and tablet computer devices, such as the Apple iPod Touch, Apple iPad, and like devices incorporating touch sensitive screens capable of accepting touch inputs from a plurality of locations simultaneously, also have the ability to download and run software implementing application programs or “apps”. According to the invention, these devices and apps running thereon can be employed together with novel hardware tools for identifying a person, location, business or the like (the “other party” herein) in order to authenticate that other party and thereby to authorize any of a wide variety of transactions.
This capability can be used to replace or supplant other means of authentication and to simplify the corresponding transactions.
General Configuration:
In a first embodiment, the hardware tool (referred to herein as the “Smart Stamp tool”) is composed of a mass of conductive material with a certain number (typically up to five for cooperating with iPhones, up to eleven for iPads) of contact pads that are proud of a flat surface. These points are positioned on the surface in a specific configuration that is unique to each exemplar of the device.
General Functionality:
When the Smart Stamp tool is placed on the multi-touch-sensitive screen of an intelligent device such as a smartphone or tablet computer, the protruding contact pads make contact with the screen and their locations are detected by the device's capacitive sensors. An application program (“app”) running on the device (or on a remote server) mathematically compares the detected locations of the Smart Stamp tool's contact pads to a reference file containing parametric data for versions of the Smart Stamp tool that are authorized with respect to the specific device.
More specifically, as presently implemented, software provided according to the invention includes an app residing locally on the user's smart device to observe the location of any five points of capacitive contact on the device's multi-touch-sensitive screen (“the observed points”). The software computes data that is parametric of the location and orientation of the five contact points. This parametric data is then submitted via internet communication protocols to a second software program residing on a remote server (“the server software”). The server software mathematically compares the parametric data calculated by the app to data similarly parametric of a set of known authorized point configurations for that app; that is, the server software determines whether the configuration of the detected contact points corresponds to a set of stored contact point locations. The server software returns data to the app indicating whether the observed points satisfied any and all criteria established in comparison with the known authorized points. In this configuration, the server software is capable of serving an authenticating role for a large number of unique apps, each of which would have their own set of one or more unique authorized point configurations.
It would also be possible to have both the steps of calculating the observed point parametric data and comparison thereof with authorized point configurations occur locally on the user's smart device in a single app, that is, without involvement of a separate server.
Example of Use:
The art is generally aware of so-called “loyalty cards”. In a coffee shop example, a customer may be given a card upon a first purchase, and the card punched, using a tool for punching a uniquely-shaped hole, by the cashier when subsequent transactions are consummated. When, for example, the number of total transactions reaches a given number, as indicated by the number of punches having been removed from the card, the customer may be given the next comparable purchase free. The card, being issued and punched by the coffee shop, thus serves to record the number of transactions, the unique shape of the shop's punch authenticates that each punch in the card was executed by an authorized representative of the shop, and possession of the card by the user authenticates the individual user to the coffee shop.
In order to replace the loyalty card with the user's smart device, the smart phone or other intelligent device is used in lieu of the card to store information recording the number of prior transactions, comparable to the punches removed, while the Smart Stamp tool is used in lieu of the uniquely-shaped punch to authenticate each transaction in a reliable and secure manner.
More specifically, the Smart Stamp tool can be employed in cooperation with an intelligent device to authenticate “punches” in a coffee shop loyalty app. The coffee shop will keep a unique Smart Stamp at the point of sale. (A chain of coffee shops would have different Smart Stamps at each location, and the app would be capable of recognizing each and tracking their usage. The app could then transmit this information to the proprietor of the app, for transmission to the management of the chain or other interested parties.)
A customer will place an order in the normal way, and enter the products being purchased in the shop's customer loyalty smartphone app—that is, the purchase data will be stored by an app unique to that shop that is running on the user's smartphone. The app will prompt the customer to show their phone to the cashier, and the cashier will authenticate the purchase with the Smart Stamp. The app, possibly via interaction with a server-side program, will confirm that the Smart Stamp's physical characteristics as measured match the stored characteristics corresponding to that coffee shop, and if so, will then retain a count of the number of such authentications. When the specified number of purchases has been accumulated, the app would indicate this to the cashier, who would then provide the reward.
Note that the security features built into these devices are such as to make user “hacking” of a legitimate app impractical; that is, it would be difficult for the device user to “fool” the device into indicating that the specified number of purchases had been made in order to defraud the merchant. Accordingly, there should be no reluctance on the part of the merchant to allow the user's device to keep track of the total. Alternatively, the totals could and might preferably be tracked by remote servers via internet communication between the app and the servers.
Other uses for the authentication feature provided by the Smart Stamp tool will occur to those of skill in the art, such as apps that would allow deliverymen to identify authorized recipients of packages, identifying specific patients to pharmacists, redeeming coupons or other value-laden offers or vouchers at retail establishments, identifying passengers on trains, airplanes and the like, identifying ticket holders at events, and the like.
For example, the user's smart phone could be used to replace a ticket for a concert, and the Smart Stamp tool to replace the ticket taker. The user would buy his or her ticket through a smartphone app designed to interact with the Smart Stamp. The user could then simply contact the device screen at the entrance to the concert venue with a Smart Stamp tool. The successful authentication would then cause the app to generate an “OK” screen which could be shown to an entry guard, or a barcode or the like, which could be scanned by an automated door operator to allow passage.
In another embodiment, the device could be used as part of a digital coupon delivery and redemption system. In such a system, third party actors (such as a product manufacturer) would be able to commission coupon-based discounts on items for sale at a retailer. A shopper would use an app to browse, evaluate and select coupons for use. At checkout, to receive the discount(s) promised by their selected coupon(s), the shopper would simply display the smart device to a cashier, who would check to make sure the item(s) required by the selected coupon(s) were being purchased, would sell the products at the discounted price promised by the coupon(s), and would certify that the coupons had been redeemed by authenticating the coupon redemption via the app on the shopper's smart device using the Smart Stamp. This authentication, communicated to a remote business server using internet communication protocols, might then trigger a financial transaction whereby the third party compensated the retailer for the financial value of the discount(s) provided to the shopper.
It is also within the scope of the invention that the Smart Stamp tool could be provided to the user and used as a sort of identification card, so as to be shown to a reader comprising a touch screen device.